


Throw fuel on the fire

by rudbeckia



Series: Princess [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Spoilers for Leia Princess of Alderaan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 19:28:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13794648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rudbeckia/pseuds/rudbeckia
Summary: Leia is angry with herself after another session of debate in the apprentice legislature where her most valuable contribution is to yell in anger at the apprentices from Arkanis and Glee Anselm. She’s a princess, groomed for leadership, and she’s mortified with failure because others can see quickly to the heart of the issue and she cannot.Can Amilyn make Leia see the value in her actions in perspective, and will Leia accept criticism from a friend?





	Throw fuel on the fire

Leia paced her father’s apartment, feeling the pressure of the air in the empty rooms and seeing its understated opulence as a rebuke. How could she stand to be safe and comfortable when others faced destruction on a whim because... because the Empire didn’t care. The Empire took and took and took until there was nothing left, then punished whole planets, stripped of every resource, for being unable to provide more. Her hands found her head and she bit back tears of frustration at how little she had done today to correct the injustices meted out by the political regime she saw no choice but to serve.

At least Amilyn had spoken out. Amilyn had a kind of bravery Leia did not recognise in herself. The tall, slim teenager had sailed out in her pod and risked everything, her own planet even, to point out a flaw in the Empire’s administration.

_They couldn’t provide the fuel because they did not have it._

Amilyn had seen that right away and ignored ridicule from the Arkanis and Glee Anselm apprentices keen to dismiss her because of her appearance rather than factor her discovery into their hard-set ideals.

_The Empire does not always respond to pleas for aid._

Amilyn had been brave enough, or rash enough which amounted to the same thing when it was said, to speak words out loud where Leia’s borderline-treasonous voice remained in her head or carefully couched and quietly murmured to Kier. Her own response, to stand up and yell at the bullies, had only served to give time for Kier to notice that the real problem lay with unclear legislation, and bogged down the delegates in the more important, and increasingly _personal_ debate of who should be honoured and trusted with the responsibility of drafting new laws.

Pacing from the living room to the hallway, Leia felt ashamed that she had not thought to look at why the fuel quota had not been met or why a local Moff could demand that the apprentice legislature choose the level of punitive sanctions against a planet.

Overwhelmed with the helplessness of her political position, Leia almost missed the sound of a visitor requesting entrance. Composing herself, checking in the mirror that she did not look distressed, Leia answered the door. When she saw a flowing green robe and matching hair, Leia’s face melted from her stone smile into genuine relief.  
“Amilyn, please come in.”  
Leia stood back and Amilyn walked in and clasped her hands in front of her. “A beautiful karraflower left untended may become an impassable barrier of thorn.” Leia frowned. Amilyn sucked her lower lip once and tried again. “It is said that a debt left unacknowledged can... Oh stars, Leia, thank you for what you did today.”

Amilyn opened her hands and held her arms out to Leia, who welcomed the embrace with genuine warmth. “I did nothing today,” said Leia. “I should be thanking you for speaking out in defence of the people of Lolet, and Kier for buying them time by getting Arkanis and Glee Anselm all tangled up in legal wrangling.”  
“Nothing!” Amilyn kissed Leia’s forehead. “When a drop of blood hits the water, it is said that a pack of aquatic gundarks would rather fight one another than chase the injured runyip.”  
Leia smiled, Amilyn’s meaning seeming to come to her without translation. She thought silently for a minute, comfortable in Amilyn’s embrace, then replied, “Perhaps aquatic gundarks are unaware of the intellectual ability of runyips.”

Amilyn roared with laughter and Leia pushed away, hands over her flaming face.  
“Oh no, did I say something stupid? I did, didn’t I.”  
“No!” Amilyn wiped her eyes. “It was unexpected, that’s all. You know I can speak plainly in Basic and yet...” Amilyn’s face settled back into a soft smile and her voice regained its dreamlike monotone. “In the furthest reaches of the galaxy, familiar poetry is a treasure best shared.”  
Leia decided this was a compliment and held her hand out to Amilyn. Amilyn took it and squeezed gently. Leia released a short sigh.  
“I feel more and more useless. I see injustice and all I can do is shout.”  
“I’ve heard that a well-timed cry of anger can force wolves to retreat.”  
“I didn’t see to the heart of the problem. You and Kier—“  
“When you swim the ocean in a crowd, the shark won’t bite.”  
“—saw where the true issues were and I only—“ Leia shook her head and looked down as she spoke. Amilyn rolled her eyes.  
“A single twig makes a poor fire.”  
“—shouted in frustration while—“  
Amilyn threw up her hands and snapped at the ceiling. “When pride leaves a gap, I pray that wisdom may fill it!”

Leia stared in shock at Amilyn’s glare. Amilyn shook it off with a flick of her head.  
“Wouldn’t the brownbeaks laugh to hear the leaf-ants squabble?”  
Understanding broke through Leia’s self-pity and brought a few tears with it. Amilyn waited a minute, all the time needed for Leia to recover, and smiled again. “See? Show me your friends and I will see your full strength.”  
“Kier said I should allow myself to be... just a person, you know?” Leia said. “I’m not used to this. I’ve been schooled my whole life to be a leader. _The_ leader. The one who always knows what to do.”  
Amilyn grinned. “And what a pain in the ass know-it-all you’d be if that were the case! Thank the force you’re as normal as the rest of us.”

Leia looked up and Amilyn pulled a face that made Leia laugh.  
“I’m sorry for all the navel-gazing,” said Leia. “I get so frustrated that it’s so much more difficult than I ever expected. I thought that all the experience I had, sitting in my father’s pod and listening to debates before I became an apprentice, would give me some kind of advantage. I’m just glad that...” Amilyn smiled and Leia smiled back. “I’m glad that it’s you who pointed out my arrogance and not one of the others. You are easier to hear.”  
Amilyn breathed relief and held out both hands again. Leia took them. “More will be carried if heavy burdens are distributed across many backs.”  
Leia smiled. “I agree. I just forget it from time to time. Will you stay for tea?”

In the kitchen, Leia boiled water while Amilyn sniffed all Bail Organa’s favourite teas and chose one. While Leia prepared it, Amilyn stood close behind with her arms wrapped around Leia’s waist. It hampered her movements, but Leia took comfort from the prolonged embrace and it made it easy, when waiting for the leaves to release their aromatic flavour, to turn around and reach up for a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to draw teenage green-haired Amilyn. I am not an art!  
> [ here she is](https://nofootprintsinsalt.tumblr.com/post/171264883619/my-first-foray-into-colour-pencils-since-i-was)


End file.
